Is it safe to delete Xcode DerivedData?
Build products, indexes and logs Xcode keeps for every project you've built.
Safe
Its owner recreates it by itself when it needs it, and nothing you made is lost.
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What it is
Xcode stores intermediate build files, the code index and build logs here, in one folder per project. It rebuilds them the next time you build or open the project, so nothing you made is lost. Folders for projects you no longer work on stay behind until they're removed.
If it's removed
The next build of each project is a full, slower build, and Xcode indexes the project again.
How it's removed
Moved to the Trash, where you can restore it. Quit Xcode first.
The free analyzer finds it and explains it. Removing it is Pro, after a review sheet that lists every move and command. It starts checked in the Cleanup checklist, except inside Documents or Desktop.
Sources
Last checked on 26 Sep 2026. Every entry is written and checked by hand; the app and the command-line tool use the same words.